Die 4. Revolution - Energy Autonomy
Carl-A. Fechner / Germany / 2010 / 83 min.
The German politician and impassioned scientist Hermann Scheer insists in Carl-A. Fechner's film that we have only around 30 years left before we simply have to switch over to renewable energy sources. Scheer and the other protagonists in this visually impressive film - who include renowned experts, business leaders and environmentalists - believe a new revolution awaits the world in the coming decades. All insist that there should be a move from nuclear and coal-powered power plants to individual solutions provided by alternative, renewable resources such as solar panels and wind and water stations. The film transports us to several continents as it presents a recipe for energy self-sufficiency as a cure that will also work for the developing world, where two billion people lack access to electricity. State of the art technology also has a role to play in the revolution, as the film's title, because it will release future carmakers from today's dependence on oil. Solar architecture, meanwhile, promises a tenfold increase in the effective use of energy in buildings. Powerful images coupled with stirring music underline the film's dramatic message: it is possible to make the switch to renewable energy; we just have to want to.